Here at the USD School of Business, we continually think about how best to prepare our students for the business world. One thing I keep hearing from employers is that students who have had a real project with a real client get off to a stronger start in their careers. One way students interact with actual companies is through an internship, and I am gratified that last summer 74% of our rising seniors had internships.

Another highly valuable approach is through team projects in a course. This spring, Professor Justine Rapp taught a new Digital Marketing & Social Media course, in which students worked on website development for small local companies. The students had a terrific experience, and the companies benefited from the students’ great insights. I really appreciate Justine’s creative approach to this course and that she’s serving our students in this way.